Fall 2021 12 been modernized, there is still always going to be the monologuing villain and the witty one-liners. In a similar market, “Mission: Impossible” is another long-running franchise that relies on its formula. As of late, the main appeal of the “Mission: Impossible” movies have been its innovative action pieces and Tom Cruise’s unyielding commitment to doing his own stunts. If there’s a single thing that these long-lasting franchises have in common, it’s having a good formula and sticking with it. Knowing what fans liked about previous films and what they want to see in future films keeps audiences happy and ticket sales high. Each of the franchises mentioned so far has a great understanding of what audiences expect. Formulas can be experimented with and altered but are nevertheless essential to a successful franchise. “Shang Chi” and “What If…?” are perfect examples of this. “Shang Chi” uses the classic MCU origin film formula as a backdrop to a compelling family drama unlike any that has come before in this universe. Meanwhile, most of “What If...” acted as a mini Phase One, with each episode setting up a new character for the epic team-up in the grand finale. So, what about the franchises that haven’t worked? Firstly, this category is not absolute. Many lackluster franchises today were successful up to a point but had major missteps that they have yet to recover from. Others have struggled to get off the ground in the first place. Universal’s “Dark Universe,” a planned series of monster films using classic properties such as “The Mummy,” “Frankenstein” and even “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” has been a victim of these struggles. After the absolute failure of “The Mummy” reboot starring Tom Cruise, most of these films have been shelved or remain with an official release date. The DCEU is a more complicated story. After the success of the “Dark Knight” trilogy, Warner Brothers decided to create a shared universe to compete with the MCU. The original plan was to build a universe around director Zack Snyder’s creative vision. However, Snyder’s first two DCEU projects, “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman,” proved incredibly divisive among fans. On top of that, “Suicide Squad” was panned, leaving “Wonder Woman” as the only positively accepted film of their initial lineup. After Snyder stepped down from “Justice League” due to a family tragedy, “Avengers” director Joss Whedon stepped in to oversee reshoots and post-production. “Justice League” was not well received and led to cries to release the Snyder Cut, which tells an entirely different story. Ever since then, the DCEU has favored directors’ autonomy over a shared universe. While this has resulted in many unique projects, it has kept the DCEU from building upon previous stories and having one consistent storyline. Abandoning a shared storyline makes it harder for audiences to follow along, meaning the mainstream appeal is slim. However, the experimentation of the DCEU has resulted in darker, more stylistic films, something that the MCU is now trying to recreate. By no means is the DCEU a failed franchise, but as long as it lacks interconnected characters and stories, its ultimate fate will be uncertain. What about “Star Wars?” What about all the “Harry Potter” and “X-Men” movies? Well, these franchises can all be classified as “good until they weren’t.” “Star Wars” has struggled for decades to expand beyond the original trilogy, only recently finding consistent success in properties like “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “The Mandalorian.” While the original “Harry Potter” films were a massive success, the recent attempt to revitalize the franchise through the “Fantastic Beasts” movies has fallen flat. Meanwhile, the “X-Men” movies never quite understood the iconic characters and plots, with few notable exceptions, such as “Logan” and “Deadpool.” While the early films were essential to the development of the comic book movie, the franchise eventually fizzled out with disappointments like “Dark Phoenix.” There are numerous other film series worth discussing, and there are many factors that can make or break a franchise. Making one good movie is hard enough, and making a sequel or a trilogy is even harder. In this age of interconnected universes, many films are rushed into becoming franchises, with each mildly successful property getting sequels and spinoffs. The best franchises are the result of patience, planning, and knowing how to tell an entertaining story. Janie Walenda is a freshman Global Business major and an A&E writer for Cedars. She enjoys musicals, movies and rereading the same books ten times.
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